Modern businesses, while reaping the benefits of digital transformation, exposes a new threat sweet spot for criminals: cyber security. A research has it that the occurrence of these cyber security attacks, primarily data breaches, owes success to both user and system lapses. Identity Theft Resource Center (ITCR) ranked the top 7 causes of data breaches as of March 2019:
- Employee Error/Negligence/Improper Disposal/Lost
- Unauthorized Access
- Accidental Web/Internet Exposure
- Hacking/Intrusion
- Physical Theft
- Data on the Move
- Insider Theft
By just seeing the top three causes, it is just right for organizations to refocus efforts on fortifying internal processes to keep data intruders out of reach. This should be a strategic need that every business should put into consideration.
Where should you begin?
The demand for IT solutions and products also drives the need for comprehensive tailor-fitting of a technology. For Microsoft and its tech partners like us, it is called Security and Threat Assessment. This is becoming a requirement before any technology implementation takes place as it is the phase where the whole security posture is reviewed in a systematic approach.
Availing a Microsoft Security and Threat Assessment should be the first step as it gives a clear view of the infrastructural gaps, data breach vulnerabilities, user roles and access, and other intricate details. This is a comprehensive review of your security posture divided into four steps:
Step 1: Kick Off
This is the phase were the proper foundations of the assessment are set and discussed. This starts with introducing project team members from your organization and defining their expected responsibilities. Primarily, these designations are needed for this phase:
- Project Executive Sponsor
- Project Manager
- Enterprise, Security and/or Infrastructure Architects
- Security Engineers, technical resources
- Project/Engagement Manager
- Security Architects/Consultants
Along with identifying the stakeholders is the review and agreement on the crucial parts of the project. This is technically an “approach overhaul” as it really delves deep into your current cyber security paradigm and needs finalization of the following assessment details:
- Project Governance
- Goals, scope and deliverables
- Schedule for the on-site assessment
- Customer requirements and tools necessary for conducting the assessment
- Expectations and next steps
This phase also presents you a pre-assessment questionnaire that has questions on cloud usage/adoption, security requirements and objectives, regulations, and frameworks.
Step 2: Assessment
This is the assessment proper. This is where the questionnaire is reviewed and finalized to get Secure Score, Microsoft’s way to quantify and measure your security posture. This gives you richer insights for your security status and provides suggestions to heighten your security level.
This phase also provides crucial but optional cyber security stress tests for your infrastructure in the form of the following:
- Shadow IT overview using Microsoft Cloud App Security
- Windows Secure Score using Windows Defender ATP
- Attack simulations using Attack Simulator
Step 3: Education
Microsoft and its partners know what’s best to every cyber security situation. In this phase focuses more on shaping your awareness and approaches toward organizational data security. This primarily tackles Microsoft 365 security topics for technical readiness. Modules, presentations, and video materials will aid the training process to further empower you with correct and up-to-date cyber security knowledge.
Step 4: Roadmap
Providing a detailed Microsoft 365 roadmap based to Secure Score and discussing every important aspect in it are the last few things before the assessment ends. This is also the best time to raise your concerns to the suggested roadmap for finalizing every detail before applying it to your organization.
How to get this assessment?
Microsoft stays true to its commitment to empower modern businesses with the right technologies and approaches for cyber security. This credential continually resounds through its partners such as Tech One Global to help bring awareness and right directions to modern businesses’ security strategy.
Secure your slots for a FREE Security and Threat Assessment with Tech One Global. Drop us a message here.
